GASTONIA, N.C. – Authorities charged a 17-year-old with several counts of assault following a shooting Friday outside a North Carolina mall, according to WSOC-TV.
Three people — two men and a woman — were injured after shots rang out at Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, the news stationreported.
Update 10:45 p.m. EDT June 19: The shooting Friday afternoon at Eastridge Mall happened in a mall parking lot and not in the food court, police said in an updated statement Friday night.
Authorities said two of the three people injured ran into the mall food court after they were shot. The victims suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.
Police said they were working Friday to determine whether there is any connection between the people shot and the suspect.
Officials earlier said a 17-year-old young man is facing several charges connected with the shooting. His name was not released due to his age.
Update 8:25 p.m. EDT June 19: Authorities on Friday night revised the number of people injured in an earlier shooting at Eastridge Mall down from four to three, WSOC reported.
Officials told the news station that they determined that a man believed to have been injured in the shooting after he showed up at a hospital in Charlotte was actually wounded in a separate incident.
Update 7:30 p.m. EDT June 10: Authorities have charged a 17-year-old boy with several counts of assault with a deadly weapon following Friday’s shooting at the Eastridge Mall in Gastonia, WSOC reported.
The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
Update 3:30 p.m. EDT June 10: Gastonia Police said a total of four people were injured in the shooting. The fourth person was found when he arrived at a Charlotte hospital, police said on Twitter.
As for the other injured people, they were two men and one woman, WSOC reported. All are expected to recover from their injuries.
Police are investigating two persons of interest.
Officials initially said the shooting happened in the mall’s food court but now they are unsure if it was inside the mall or outside of the building, WSOC reported.
Gastonia Police Chief Travis Brittain said it is too early to determine a motive.
Original report: Gaston Emergency Medical Services said three people were shot but had non-life-threatening injuries.
At least one person was seen running from the mall to the neighboring woods, WSOC reported.
Police are also interviewing witnesses and are going store-to-store to evacuate the mall, which is currently in lockdown.
This is an ongoing story. Visit our sister station wsoctv.com for the latest updates.
